Report 1250
Report #1250 Skillset: Dramaturgy Skill: Scenes Org: Illuminati Status: Completed Feb 2015 Furies' Decision: We'll look into adding an appropriate line before dramaturgy attacks. Problem: The various scenes in Dramaturgy allow for what essentially are custom attack messages with affs. Such a tool, while great for RP, only creates unnecessary complication to combat. Most dramaturgists use these as pseudo- illusions as well, adding another layer to the issue. The ability to create almost any line possible in the game and have it afflict confuses casual fighters and adds another coding hurdle to system users. I believe that it is within the interests of the overhaul to simplify such mechanics in order to lower the barriers of entry to combat. 0 R: 0 Solution #1: Add a preparatory line that specifically addresses the victim to any scene, to lessen the coding needed. Example: (1st person) Shuyin directs a performance at you, *NEWLINE* SCENE_HERE. (third person) Shuyin directs a performance at Sidd. *NEWLINE* SCENE_HERE. 0 R: 0 Solution #2: Add a preparatory line to any scene, to lessen the coding needed (more than solution 1 though). Example: (1st person) Shuyin directs a performance, *NEWLINE* SCENE_HERE. (third person) Shuyin directs a performance. *NEWLINE* SCENE_HERE. 0 R: 0 Solution #3: Make scenes boring and give them all the same line. Have the custom scene thing be for RP only. The boring route. Player Comments: ---on 1/21 @ 14:51 writes: Supported, 1 or 2. Making the preparatory line's target ambiguous is unnecessary, the scene itself should declare a target. ---on 1/21 @ 15:29 writes: I tentatively support 1 or 2, but would rather wait for an admin consensus on whether Illusions and metagaming the other person's system is an okay thing or not. Until then, the custom aff line being a potentially screw-your-system illusion is a perk of Dramaturgy that is attractive and deadly for lowbies/midbies, but easily system-ignorable by higher tier combatants. ---on 1/21 @ 21:23 writes: I'm all for getting rid of metagamey ways of winning fights. Specifically trying to figure out bugs/loopholes in an opponent's system and exploiting them. I would certainly agree on adding either solution 1 or 2. Either that or give a better way of handling illusion-type mechanics altogether. The way they work right now with aff-lines kind of negates the whole deal and I'd love to see some other kind of mechanic/skillset replacing the whole lot. ---on 1/21 @ 22:02 writes: I would support solution 1 or 2 as well. ---on 1/22 @ 01:12 writes: Solution 1 sounds the best to me if the purpose is make coding easier. Including the target would forgo the need to recognize various custom lines to pick up the target and instead focus on the prepatory line. ---on 1/22 @ 04:00 writes: Full support for either 1 or 2. ---on 1/22 @ 04:08 writes: Solution 1 ---on 1/22 @ 09:13 writes: We can also take this opportunity to remove illusion-style abilities altogether and apply a minor buff to the affected skillsets (i.e. illusions, dramaturgy) to balance out the impact overall while reducing the reliance on poor system coding. I'd suggest Sol 1, make weaving illusions not doable while not able to be masochistic, and buff efficiency via speeding the relevant skills up or something. ---on 1/22 @ 19:40 writes: It only really works that way for players and systems who do not use affmessages or can't make use of them properly, right? There are some cases where the 'Unknown affliction' affline might make a system think that it has afflictions from a list that it does not, but this is really niche and metagamey. ---on 1/23 @ 20:39 writes: Fwiw I like solution 1 the most. ---on 1/28 @ 05:02 writes: Solution 1 or 2, preferably 1. ---on 1/30 @ 05:37 writes: With the new 4 cure system there is little draw back to taking all 4 curatives whenever you get an unknown affliction. With this potential blow to hidden affs Im not sure we should rush to kill unconventional aff hiding strategies. ---on 1/31 @ 02:44 writes: Also in agreement with Llandros. I'd like an admin decision on this. So I guess I'm ambivalent 'til this report goes through submission. ---on 1/31 @ 08:38 writes: Support solution 1. It'd be nice if the prepatory message was kinda cool RP- ishly, though. "You feel as though DRAMATURGIST is about to perform a dramatic scene at (you|PERSON), and you turn to look." followed by the custom line. Something like that. Also, if hidden affs are getting put on the backfoot with the changes (and they will be, whether this report goes through or not) then more solid afflicting power should be added to skillsets that currently utilize hidden afflictions. (This will obviously include the Nekotai hidden affliction repertoire, but that'll be in another report.) Some suggestions specifically for Dramaturgy: Make catharsis a passive effect for all scenes (move it up higher in the skillset if needed) instead of an embedded effect. Ask for a wider range of afflictions so different bards can embed afflictions that are on the same cure balance as their song passives, minimizing the effectiveness of eating all four types of cures with every scene performed. Make the stunning effect of Climax (stuns instead of giving an affliction if target is already afflicted) apply to all scenes as a passive effect. Climax will still be stronger and worth the 5p because it has the capability to reach a maximum of 5-aff stun instead of the usual 2-affs from a normal scene. Alternatively (or rather, even better) lower the power cost on climax. Make it so that the five different scenes have differing amounts of embedded effects, and differing amounts of power costs (like a tiered progression toward climax) so the dramaturgist can pick and choose when to use more powerful scenes, and the degree of power, in exchange for losing potency from hidden afflictions. Etc etc. ---on 2/3 @ 23:02 writes: Almost all of those suggestions sound horrendously op. Instead of just adding in more aff-spamming, why not more skills like foppery/mendacity/pratfall/rebuff? A greater number of flavorful and unique skills is always a good thing. ---on 3/17 @ 04:41 writes: A final decision on this will be forthcoming, we're still discussing in the Havens.